Drawn Togetheris one of my favorite picture books of 2018 and not just because it has a clever title. Lê’s spare text perfectly captures the tale of a boy and his grandfather who are separated by words but find a way to connect through drawing—a feel-good story that crosses cultures and time.

Santat’s gorgeous art alternates between vivid modern color for the grandson’s images and a black-and-white traditional style when the grandfather draws. The book’s beauty will move you. The publisher includes clever details such as a sharp pencil on the spine and a surprise image beneath the cover; the two characters’ contrasting art styles serve as lovely bookends.

This book would make an ideal gift for that special child in your life who speaks a different language than you do, although any child will find it speaks to them about connectivity and family ties. It is also befitting for kids who love to draw because the book shows how pictures open up worlds.

★Starred Review – Booklist, Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal and The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

The Day You Begin isn’t about the day you’re born. Instead, this heartening 32-page picture book invites you to make a space for yourself in the world. Woodson grabs the reader from the empathetic first line, “There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you.” Those words give voice to the uneasiness we all experience. Yet, to forge connections we must learn to take a chance and open up. López takes the story beyond the words. His colorful artwork imaginatively captures the emotional tone, showing conflicting feelings of hope and despair, isolation and togetherness.This lovely tale reaches hearts of all ages. The Day You Begin would be an ideal gift for graduates, people seeking to begin anew, or anyone who needs a nudge to remember that life is a beautiful blend of our differences.This story was inspired by a poem in Woodson’s New York Timesbest-selling memoir, Brown Girl Dreaming.

The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid is THE book for that kid on your holiday shopping list who loves extraordinary facts. Who knew there was a school in Iceland dedicated to the study of elves, or that fireflies in Tennessee blink in sync with one another?Travel to destinations in forty-seven countries on every continent in this entertaining journey to 100 real places. The book opens with a clever Packing List and Adventure Plan (Table of Contents). Readers can randomly choose places to explore, or read the book straight through. Each two-page spread highlights segments that are stand-alone entries, yet there’s a teaser at the end connecting a topic from that country to the next one. For example, after reading about how Cambodians built their own bamboo trains called “norries” (when the war damaged their rail system), you’re invited to read about another do-it-yourself system of transportation in Colombia—homemade zip lines! Parents who find themselves unable to put this book down can ask Santa for the adult version: #1 New York Times best-seller, The Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to the World’s Hidden Wonders. Whether young or old, the Atlas Obscura books take you on a fascinating spin around the globe delivering strange facts in the most delightful way.

POE WON’T GO written by Kelly DiPucchiowith pictures by Zachariah Ohora, will consistently charm your children and delight adults through multiple re-reads. The artist behind WOLFIE THE BUNNY infuses this picture book with his clever and colorful style that often reminds me of the Corduroy books I read as a child.

Unassuming pachyderm Poe just won’t go. He has mysteriously landed in the middle of Prickly Valley only to remain sitting in the middle of traffic amidst the outcries of the townspeople.They try everything to make him go; including one of my favorite artistic spreads of the book that includes a motivational speaker with a sign proclaiming “You Can GO!”

When the Mayor gets involved things quickly escalate and our poor Poe sits miserably in the mess he has created just by existing. When Marigold, a young child who has taken an interest in Poe, speaks up, the Mayor is hesitant to listen. Backed up by a reporter covering the case, Marigold simply speaks to Poe and finds out what he is waiting for. The incredulous Mayor watches the young child and on-site reporter solve the dilemma and Poe happily goes on his way, reminding the reader that sometimes all it takes is a little kindness and patience to discover the problem at hand. Listening to Poe’s perspective made all the difference.

I practically live in my local library so I’ve always found books about them quite appealing. Josh Funk’s latest, Lost In The Library, is no exception. Even the colors illustrator Stevie Lewis has used look like library colors: warm browns and beiges, deep rusts, soft greens and grays. I could even feel the cool hallways, hear the echoes of feet and the crisp flipping of page turns and, last but not least, smell centuries-worth of books, some old and dusty, others new and slick.

That brings me to Funk’s wonderful story about two iconic library lions who sit atop plinths in front of the Main Branch of the New York Public Library. Patience and Fortitude, so dubbed by Mayor LaGuardia, have rested in those spots since the 1930s. Lost in the Library, a rhyming picture book, begins with Fortitude noticing that Patience is missing. He then heads into the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building (aka the Main Branch) to find his friend and, thanks to his search, provides readers a vicarious visit inside this 100 plus years-old library. While hunting in the wee morning hours before opening time, Fortitude meets various statues, paintings and even a lion fountain located throughout the building’s abundant and beckoning rooms and halls. Each new encounter brings him closer to Patience with hints for savvy youngsters that the lion is no stranger to the vast corridors of the NYPL.

During a well-timed moment of reflection, Fortitude shares how he and Patience weren’t always pals. In fact Fortitude initially mistook Patience’s shyness for rudeness but with time the lions grew close. The main feature that helped form the bond of their friendship was Patience’s gift of storytelling. “Fortitude cherished each one.” Determined now to find his buddy, Fortitude, with the help of a trusty Visitor’s Guide, finally locates Patience in the place most adult readers likely suspected, The Children’s Center. With its bright, welcoming colors, the room is filled with everyone’s favorite books by their beloved authors and illustrators. It seems the storytelling lion’s secret source was there on the shelves of the library all along!

There aren’t a lot of people in the story, but artist Lewis has given those who briefly appear a cool retro style which adds to the timeless quality of the library’s decor so beautifully illustrated. And I love how Funk seamlessly weaves Fortitude’s quest for Patience with the library tour and notable library attractions. I cannot wait to go back to NYC to have another visit and I bet attendance has soared since this book’s publication! The back matter includes interesting information about the library’s lions and other facts that even I, a former New Yorker, didn’t know. This touching tribute to libraries everywhere and the enduring power of great stories will endear it to readers young and old. Getting lost never felt better.

Maybe you know a Phil, a Jim or a Harry, but I bet you don’t know any that are peacocks! After reading Robin Newman’s new picture book, No Peacocks!with illustrations by Chris Ewald, you’re probably going to want to meet this trio, perhaps even cook for them! I know I do. The personalities of these three particular peafowls shine through on every page of this humorous story based on the real life birds.

Tired of the same old, same old—sunflower seeds—the pals, who live in Manhattan on the grounds of The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, head out to find some real food. Everywhere they venture they hear the dreaded two words from restaurant owners from whom they seek a decent meal, “No peacocks!” What’s a bird to do? Before long their caretaker turns up to take them back home.

When overcome by wafts of tempting “gooey, creamy and delicious mac ‘n cheese” emanating from the church school cafeteria, the persevering peacocks hatch a plan. But even that clever scheme to disguise themselves as students ends in humiliation and lands them in the doghouse so-to-speak. Kids will delight at their wild antics especially when shadowy arrangements are ultimately made on the q.t. to swap prized feathers for the long awaited cheesy food. Can the culprit deliver? Will the mac ‘n cheese meet their expectations? Will sunflower seeds soon become history? That’s a treat even I won’t give away. What I will say is that Newman has found the right mix of silliness and entertaining storytelling to satisfy every young reader. “From the first moment I saw the dynamic feathered trio, I knew that I wanted to write a story about them,” says Newman in the back matter. After reading No Peacocks! and feeling the obvious pleasure the plucky peacocks bring to all who know them, it was obvious to me that this story just shouted Robin’s name.

Chris Ewald’s art truly takes flight in this tale. His illustrations feature so many funny expressions and peacocky poses of our fab feathered friends. The spreads are richly colored in vibrant jewel tones, quite fitting for peafowls, and they’re also full of movement as the story itself leaps forward. Together with Newman’s prose, Ewald’s art easily makes No Peacocks! a perfect story time pick. Also helpful is a page of Resources at the end for peacock enthusiasts and those interested in learning more about the uptown celebrity birds that inspired the book.

The wait is over because Ivy and Bean are back! In Ivy + Bean: One Big Happy Family(the eleventh book of the critically acclaimed series), second-grade teacher Ms. Aruba-Tate has the class draw the Important People in their lives. This leads Ivy to wonder whether she’s spoiled because she’s an only child. After the BFFs try various things to test whether this is true, Ivy realizes the “cure” is to get a sister!

As usual, misdirection and mayhem unfold as the girls conjure up creative ways to obtain a sibling. They discover baby sisters are almost as bad as big sisters, leaving only one solution: twins. Although One Big Happy Family tackles a somewhat common premise, the story line goes to unexpected places. Other books involve siblings issues, but Annie Barrows finds new ground in which to grow this story. She continues the series with the humor we expect from adorable troublemakers, Ivy and Bean. Fans and new readers alike will enjoy spending some time with these girls as they traverse their Pancake Court neighborhood, taking life by storm.

Sophie Blackall’s illustrations on each two-page spread convey hilarious facial expressions and silly predicaments. Images and text interweave, boosting these chapter books to something better than each half alone. Carefully placed details add depth beyond the humor. The girls tackle real-life issues but do so in a way only Ivy and Bean can. Their escapades, while outrageous at moments, also work out issues in kid-relatable ways, demonstrating why this series continues to be a hit at home and in the classroom.

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One talented creator’s works grace two new picture books, Hedgehog Needs a Hug and Twilight Chant, featuring wonderful animal illustrations. Both books are reviewed by Cathy Ballou Mealey.

Sure, on Instagram every hedgehog looks cute and cuddly. But in this story, woodland friends are fearful of his prickles when HEDGEHOG NEEDS A HUG, the debut author-illustrator title from Jen Betton. Perhaps he got out of his cozy nest the wrong way, but Hedgehog wakes feeling “down in the snout and droopy in the prickles.” Smart and resourceful, he knows just what he needs to feel better. But who will hug Hedgehog? Rabbit and Raccoon refuse, and Turtle won’t even wake up. Then an ominous shadow seeks into the clearing. It’s a fox! He’s not afraid, but should Hedgehog be?

Betton’s text is smooth and rhythmic with vivid verbs and comforting refrains. Her woodland scenes feature crisp white and lush, deep blue-greens that make creamy-brown Hedgehog pop as the star. Plentiful double spreads and a clever mix of perspectives keep scenes entertaining from one page turn to the next, and expressive animal faces convey emotions without ambiguity. A gentle ending brings comfort and happy closure, plus a new friend who can see beyond Hedgehog’s thorny accoutrements.

Betton also lends her prolific talents to TWILIGHT CHANT, a beautiful and poetic science picture book written by Holly Thompson. Readers follow a family leaving the shore as the sun begins to sink and shift to twilight hours. Thompson’s lyrical text directs attention to the animals that become active at this time of day – the “crepuscular creatures emerge” – with smoothly rhythmic repetition that reads aloud beautifully. As deer graze, swallows skim, foxes sniff and bats swerve, each page turn leads to a new creature and heightens our appreciation of this calm yet intensely busy twilight time

The illustrations, rich with gold and rose dusky tints, showcase each animal and its setting with both realism and softness across double spread pages. The family wends their way home slowly, tucked in as a careful through-line to emphasize our environmental interconnectedness. The deepening sky colors conclude with purpley nightfall – making this title a perfect, calming bedtime selection. An author’s note clearly explains what twilight is and gives more information about the intriguing animals encountered in the story. A poetic masterpiece infused with subtle science and soothing imagery, TWILIGHT CHANT is one of a kind.

– A Junior Library Guild Selection –

In Tiny Infinities, the debut middle grade novel by J. H. Diehl, the summer when Alice turns thirteen, her family’s structure disintegrates. Her mother has become a bedridden recluse, her father moves out, and Alice’s two brothers are temporarily placed with their aunt. Alice willfully stays at the family home, erecting the Renaissance tent her parents met in, resolving to sleep in the backyard until her father returns. Due to finances, cell phones, internet, and camps are cut. Earning money babysitting is bittersweet—Alice’s parents are too distracted to pay much attention. Alice discovers each family has complications. Piper, the young girl she watches, has an undiagnosed loss of speech and possibly hearing.

This quiet story considers deep issues including how one family member’s illness or injury affects everyone. Because of her parents’ split and her mother’s inability to recover, Alice loses touch with close friends rather than explain.

Swimming keeps Alice centered; she’s determined to get her name on her swim team’s record board. A friendship with the new girl, Harriet, develops. Harriet’s keen observations while somewhat off-putting are also perceptive: she advises Alice to switch to backstroke. While this is another change, Alice eventually realizes that she likes swimming backwards without seeing where she’s going; it gives her confidence in her ability to maneuver the pool, and life. Alice and her friends learn from one another how to find their way—realizing it is their way to find.

Tiny Infinities is an honest coming-of-age middle-grade novel. Alice understands for the first time that there is “no line between hot and cold, or warm and cool, love and not love. Tiny infinities [are] always going to be there.”

Fireflies play a clever role in the novel throughout. Beneath the book’s beautiful glimmering jacket is a stunning smooth casewrap adorned with fireflies. The brightly contrasting endpapers offer a pop of color.

WOLF IN THE SNOW
Written and illustrated by Matthew Cordell
(Feiwel & Friends; $17.99, Ages 2-6)

Matthew Cordell’s notable picture book, Wolf in the Snow, balances a chilly winter landscape with warm sentiments of kindness. A young girl in a red triangular-shaped parka loses her way home from school when snows obliterates the path. At the same time, the severe weather separates a wolf cub from its pack. The two youngsters find one another and the girl’s thoughtfulness sets the story’s tone.

The only words in this book are plaintive sounds: whines, barks, howls, exhausted huffing. Children not yet literate can easily follow the images. Be sure to view the pictures before the title page which convey important information about the girl, her parents, and their dog. These also start us with the idea that, though the girl becomes lost, she is not alone—help will come, though not necessarily in the manner expected.

Blowing snow illustrations are bookended by ones of cozy comfort, communicating a safe opening and conclusion. Icy storm and natural colors contrast sharply with the bright jackets worn by adults and children. Wolves are depicted with distinction.

A UNICORN NAMED SPARKLEWritten and illustrated by Amy Young
(Farrar Straus Giroux BYR; $16.99, Ages 2-6)

Carving out a new niche in the unicorn-book market may seem a difficult task, but A Unicorn Named Sparkle by Amy Young accomplishes this task with humor and flare. When Lucy finds a mail-away ad stating, “Unicorn, 25 cents,” she, of course, sends her quarter off to Unicorn City, New Jersey, barely able to wait.

Meanwhile, Lucy imagines all the wonderful things they’ll do together. She’ll name her unicorn Sparkle and “he will be blue with a pink tail and pink mane.” To ease him into her world, she plans to give him a cupcake.

When the big truck rumbles up, Lucy’s cupcake disappears in one chomp. I must note that this is a great image—just the unicorn’s mouth coming out of the shipping crate, snapping down the cupcake – terrific! What emerges from the shipping crate doesn’t quite match Lucy’s expectations. “He had spots. His ears were too long. He smelled funny. Oh, and he had fleas.” And that’s just the beginning.

Playing together doesn’t go the way she planned either. So Lucy does what every frustrated shopper would: she phones Unicorns, Inc., and tells them to take Sparkle back. While she awaits the truck’s return, Lucy gets to know Sparkle and even stands up for him when neighborhood kids tell her that Sparkle looks like a goat. Of course we all know that Sparkle is a “special kind of unicorn.”

In this tale of friendship and discovery, Lucy comes to the conclusion that you may not get what you expected—and that can be just fine too.

Author and illustrator Amy Young’s A Unicorn Named Sparkle is a truly enjoyable read, ideal for the pre-K crowd. And her vivid, expressive images are well-matched to the text. Sparkle may not be the handsome unicorn we imagined, but he surely will capture our hearts.

Edith – or “Eddie” as she is called – is a five-and-a-half year old charmer with straw-spikey hair, a pert pug nose, and a bright fuchsia hoodie in Beatrice Alemagna’s The Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy. She also has a problem – it is her mother’s birthday and she needs to find the perfect present, stat. Overhearing something about a “fuzzy – little –squishy” leads her to assume that her sister might scoop the “right” gift for their mother before Eddie. So our intrepid heroine abandons a steaming teacup and sprints into the streets of her charming French village in search of the fuzzy little squishy gift.

In her wonderful walkable neighborhood, Eddie visits the baker, the florist, a clothing boutique, the antique dealer, and the butcher. She asks each adult for assistance in finding a squishy, fluffy or fuzzy something. Although they listen to her plea and try to help, each giving her a tiny treasure (except the grumpy butcher), none have the elusive gift she seeks. Discouraged, Eddie heads home in the falling snow.

Suddenly, she hears giggles over head and spies “it” – an adorable fluffy little squishy at last! A long-tailed, four legged, be-whiskered poof that is as pink as can be. Eddie immediately knows that this creature has a thousand uses, from pillow to plant to paintbrush. The small gifts from her neighborhood friends come into play as Eddie rescues the Squishy from a series of near disasters and discovers something wonderful about herself as well.

Alemagna excels in depicting enticing shop windows and displays, bursting with scrumptious pastries, delicate flowers, intriguing antiques, and a fold-out triple spread butcher shop. Her illustrations incorporate bursts of energy and action that draw the eye across the page, from steaming cup to falling snow and gushing fountains. Even little Squishy looks as though he might have been zapped by an electrical socket, shocking his fur into uncontrollable chaos. Excellent depictions of winding cobblestone streets, crowded village shops and slate roofed homes will help children appreciate the European sensibilities of this magical adventure story. And they will certainly find Eddie an irrepressible and appealing heroine whose quest is as quirky as it is delightful.

THE WONDERFUL FLUFFY LITTLE SQUISHY was recently awarded the 2016 Mildred L. Batchelder Award by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association. The Batchelder Award is given to the most outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States, and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States.

Reviewed by Cathy Ballou Mealey

Where Obtained: I reviewed a copy of THE WONDERFUL FLUFFY LITTLE SQUISHY from the publisher and received no other compensation. The opinions expressed here are my own.

From the team that brought you A Kiss Means I Love Youcomes their latest, Show Me Happy. This photograph-rich, 24-page picture book with kids populating every page is the perfect introduction for little ones still learning “how to use their words.” Kids are picking up important early concepts and experiencing a range of emotions long before they have the language to express them so, by sharing books like Show Me Happy, we can help youngsters learn to communicate effectively.

Show Me Happy is actually more than just a book depicting emotions. With easy to interpret images that demonstrate actions such as a mom helping her son with measuring while cooking up a tasty treat (show me helping), an older boy handing a ball to a younger girl (show me giving), a little girl cutting the lawn with a toy mower (show me pushing), a boy cupping his mouth and yelling (show me NOISY), it’s a fun read-aloud with some subtle rhyme:

Show me pushing,
show me pulling,
show me sharing when we play.

Show me NOISY,
show me quiet,
show me putting things away.

This cheerful picture book would also be ideal to read with special needs children. Many kids on the Autism Spectrum, for example, may have difficulty identifying how they are feeling or what’s appropriate behavior in a certain situation. Furtran’s warm and inviting photos and Allen’s simple, upbeat text are both appealing and engaging. It sometimes feels as if the kids in the photos are smiling right at me! Books like Show Me Happy that are accessible to everyone, provide photographic examples that children can relate to making this picture book one your kids will certainly enjoy and one you’ll be happy to have on hand.

And we’re not talking Kevin here either!

I clearly remember the day I fell in love with bacon. At dinner my mother placed a heaping platter of liver and onions before us. “It’s good for you! Try one bite,” she insisted. I carefully swaddled a teeny tiny piece of liver inside the largest crispy, chewy bacon slice. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, then GULP! I was able to consume the one required bite. Bacon had saved the day!

Everyone has different reasons for loving bacon, and Kelly DiPucchio’s funny tale about bacon’s universal celebrity status will be a real winner with kids. In this tasty tale, set in a shiny silver roadside diner, readers quickly learn that in addition to Egg loving Bacon, and Pancake loving Bacon, BACON loves Bacon, too! Oh sure, cranky French Toast doesn’t love Bacon, but he doesn’t love anyone. It hardly seems to bother Bacon anyway, since he has so many loyal fans!

The perks of Bacon’s popularity include posing for photos and taking center stage for singing, telling jokes, and playing ukulele. His entourage of fruits, fries, veggies and meats are always fawning over him. Bacon laps up the attention like 100% pure Vermont maple syrup. When bacon-themed accessories and knickknacks start appearing (bumper stickers, hats, t-shirts) Bacon really starts to sizzle.

DiPucchio’s text pulls no punches in stating story facts from the sublime to ridiculous about Bacon’s ego explosion. Pun-inspired balloon quotes from Bacon’s forgotten friends enhance the storyline with funny asides, capturing the personalities of the other diner foods. “Fine. Have it your way,” grumps the cheeseburger. DiPucchio nicely sets up Wight’s picture puns, and the illustrator takes full advantage of the wacky edible world to craft clever, silly anthropomorphized foods. The setting is balanced with well-rendered, slightly surrealistic details from the red and white striped drinking straws to the grains in the salt and pepper shakers.

By the time mustachioed Bacon acquires a fancy car, readers will be anticipating a funny, dramatic end. Does the book deliver? Well, everyone loves Bacon.

Reviewed by Cathy Ballou Mealey

Where Obtained: I reviewed a copy of EVERYONE LOVES BACON from the publisher and received no other compensation. The opinions expressed here are my own.